After a brief discussion SG-1 decided to begin trying to walk out of the forest and find civilization. Teal'c reminded them that they also needed to find a water source and their supplies were getting dangerously low. As the surrounding area was densely packed with trees it was hard to tell which way would lead them out quickest so they began walking directly from the Stargate hoping to find a path of sorts that would lead them somewhere.

It took several hours but eventually the trees began to thin and they could see the end. All were scratched on their legs from various trees, branches and thorns that bit them as they brushed passed. Vala wanted to get out as it had not been an easy walk, more like ploughing through all the foliage. The warmth from the sun began to beat down on them and they relished it after the cool of the forest.

The first building they came across was dilapidated and it was apparent that no one had been there for years. Wanting to find a clue to where they were, carefully they entered and as they walked dust followed in their wake. Vala sneezed several times before veering off to look at one of the rooms. She could hear Cam and Sam discussing in an argumentative fashion about where they could be as the house looked suspiciously like many they'd seen on worlds before.

She saw the book on the bed and her heart plummeted. Not again.

"I know where we are," Vala stated as she reentered what she assumed was a dining room to rejoin the others.

"Oh, and where are we then?" Cam glared at Sam.

"The Ori galaxy." Vala dropped the book of Origin on the table which prompted another cloud of dust to billow upwards and she sneezed again.

"Isn't it possible that Origin isn't just in the Ori galaxy anymore? I mean, they've had years since they found out about us to search for other galaxies," Cam asked.

Vala waited for Sam to answer. "Possible but not likely. We alerted the Ori to our presence in a different galaxy and the Ancients left us clues to find Atlantis. There's millions of galaxies out there but finding on that's inhabited would be difficult and would take time. I think the Ori concentrated all their efforts into converting us, I doubt they'd go off searching for others to conquer."

"Plus, Tomin never mentioned going to any other galaxies," Vala added.

"I too believe that we are in the Ori galaxy," Teal'c stated while glancing around the room.

"So now what's the plan?"

Sam exhaled before answering. "We need to find an energy source that can power the gate to get us home."

"Does that not require massive amounts of power, Colonel Carter?"

"That's where the finding part comes in. We need to find something..."

"Wait. When I was in Ver Isca the Ori instructed the destruction of anything Ancient. It happened, I'm assuming, on many places. They didn't want their followers getting ideas about them and anything slightly heretic was brought to the Priors, then destroyed. There were some people who kept the items secret, hiding them in houses, storage rooms, anywhere they could for safekeeping. Perhaps there is one here."

"Vala's got a point. If they have some Ancient technology here I might be able to use it to power the 'gate."

"Will there be enough, Sam?"

Sam turned to Cam who had taken a seat at the table. "I don't know. It depends on what they've kept."

"So we find a village and check things out." Cam seemed slightly relieved that they had a plan of sorts.

"You're forgetting something." Vala hated thinking about her time spent anywhere in the Ori galaxy and avoided speaking about it whenever she could but this was different. "It took me months to gain their trust and they almost killed me in the process."

"But it's different now, the Ori are gone. There's no Prior's to deal with, no beings with funky powers..."

"Colonel Mitchell, I believe Vala Mal Doran is correct."

"Thanks Teal'c. While we may have no Priors to deal with there will still be people on this planet who are devout followers of Origin. If we go bursting into their villages demanding to see their Ancient artifacts we could well end up burned alive."

"Ok, so who's got a plan?"

She hated these clothes with a passion. They were a reminder of the false life she had led for several months, memories of a simpler life with Tomin that went so horribly wrong. Despite the gun in her hand hidden by the cloak she wore, she felt disrobed, out of place, homesick. For the first time in months she allowed the thought of Daniel to cross her mind. If he was here now he'd be instructing them all on how to act, what to say, and providing them with the information they would need to keep their cover. She had done what she could, helping them dress appropriately, gathering copies of the Book of Origin for each, instructing them in the basics on how to speak and what to say.

Vala shook herself out of her daydreams. He wasn't here, it was up to them.

She glanced around at her teammates grinning slightly. Sam wore clothes similar to the ones she wore but a lighter colour. A dress down to the ground to hide their boots, sleeves down to their wrists to cover the watches and long sleeved jackets of the SGC, a cloak to ward off the chill in the air. Cam and Teal'c were dressed as farmers might. Long baggy pants made from a course material though Teal'c's had required some adjustments. They had not been able to find pants long enough so thanks to some superglue and a knife they'd lengthened them by attaching a piece of material close in colour. Vala hoped no one would get close enough to notice. Both wore long sleeved shirts and cloaks as well. The cloaks were perfect for hiding their weapons while they still held them.

Both Cam and Teal'c carried bags over their shoulders containing their belongings and some supplies. They had left the camping supplies back at the abandoned house as they did not want any locals guessing they weren't from the area. The plan was to find a village and pose as travellers looking for a place to stay and some information. Play it by ear, Cam had said. Vala hoped he knew what he was doing as they headed down a path that while not used recently had once been travelled often.

"And the people shall deliver unto you the wicked for your divine judgement, where their sins shall be weighed in the balance of all that is just and true."

As Vala heard those words spoken she began to shake. They'd found a village after an hour of trampling through grass waist high but found no people around to greet them. Cautiously entering they'd stayed to the sides of the buildings watching and listening for any indication of what was happening. Vala knew the instant she heard a male voice recite a passage from the Book of Origin that still haunted her.

"Vala," Sam hissed. "What is it?"

"The Altar."

"The what?" Cam asked turning from peeking around the corner. "All I can see is a bunch of people, well their backs anyways."

"That passage was read before they burned me to death. That's what we'll find when we go around this corner." Vala could still hear the monotone voice reading the scripture aloud and knew they didn't have much time. "There's probably some innocent person chained in the center of the altar and they're going to burn her to death for it and let me tell you it isn't exactly a pleasant way to go!"

"Vala, we can't just go tearing in there and demand they stop!"

"Then what do you suggest Colonel Mitchell?"

"Uh," Cam mumbled as he turned back to watch the crowd. "I can't see any weapons but that doesn't mean they... Hey!" Cam grabbed for Vala as she ran past him but missed.

"If not, may the fire burn you...."

"Stop." Vala ran through the crowd to the altar.

The man reading from the Book of Origin stopped and turned to stare at Vala.

"Have you come to speak for her?" He was referring to the young woman chained up, sobbing.

"Speak for her?"

"She has been touched by one who is evil and must be cleansed."

"You aren't cleansing her, you're killing her! I'm sure that whatever her crime is, well, except for a few specialized things, surely doesn't constitute death."

"Whoa, hey, what's going on here?" Cam followed by Sam and Teal'c joined Vala as the villagers began to back up.

"You would be wise to watch your companion." The man glared at Cam, then Vala.

"Oh, hey, don't mind us, we're just passing through. But I agree with my companion here, is it really necessary to kill this woman?"

"It is the will of the Ori. Hallowed are the Ori."

"Hallowed are the Ori," the villagers chanted in unison.

"The will of the Ori? The Ori are dead, they don't exist anymore."

"Vala," Cam warned Vala to stop what she was doing but she ignored him.

"When was the last time a Prior visited, the last time you witnessed a miracle performed by the Ori?"

"Vala," Cam warned her to stop what she was doing but she ignored him.

"It has been several seasons since we were last blessed with the presence of a Prior."

"Why are your men still here?" Sam asked.

"I do not understand." Vala was relieved that for now the man was not focused entirely on killing the woman.

"Every able bodied man that could be spared was sent on a crusade to convert another galaxy. They were defeated." Vala's voice dropped so low that only a few heard her.

"You lie." Suddenly Vala noticed several men bearing Ori staff weapons and turned to indicate it to the others but they all had their weapons out and aimed.

"She's telling the truth. We were there. As I said before we're just passing through. We're trying to find a way home and we thought here would be our best option to get the supplies we need and be on our way. If you fire upon us, we will fire back and I can't guarantee that no one will be killed." Cam's gun pointed directly at the man who so far seemed to be their leader.

"Blasphemy," the man hissed. "You shall pay for your sins." Another man joined him and handed him one of the staff weapons. He lowered it and began to aim at Vala who glared at him.

She blinked and almost missed it; Cam had shot the man in the arm and he fell backwards, dropping the staff weapon as he fell. Around them the villagers began muttering but no one moved except for the other four or five men laid down their staff weapons. Sam and Teal'c recovered the weapons and the villagers backed up to make a path for them.

"He'll live," Cam called to the villagers. "Just a small wound, we can fix him up. For now we just want some information and then we'll leave."

As Cam, backed by Sam began to talk to the villagers explaining the fate of the Ori, Vala and Teal'c freed the young woman. Vala wondered how long she had been chained at the altar as the woman stumbled before accepting help from Teal'c, fear or hunger making her entire body shake. Vala knew that the moment they left the village the woman would be killed. They'd have to take her with them.

It didn't take long before the crowd dispersed. A few remained to help treat their leader and one woman kindly offered clothing to the young lady who had been rescued. Vala thanked her and tried to get the lady to eat. Teal'c collected the staff weapons and after inspecting them found only one that was in working condition, the one that had been pointed at Vala. After a brief discussion the energy crystal was removed with the agreement that it would be given back to the villagers before they left.

The man patched up yet still in pain insisted on leaving and going to his home and as he left muttered about traitors and heretics. Vala rolled her eyes as she listened to him. She'd heard all this crap far too often and knew that he was one of those that would never believe their belief in the Ori was false. She focused back on the woman, now changed into fresh clothes and accepting water from Sam.

"Who are you?" Sam asked.

"I am Levia," she whispered.

"How old are you?" Vala couldn't help but ask as she couldn't be more than twenty and received a glare from Sam and puzzled look from Cam for asking.

"I do not know but it has been many years since I was married."

"Married?"

"My husband, Salath, died in an accident not long after we were joined."

Turning from Vala to Levia, Cam changed the subject. "So what happened out there?"

"They believe I have been possessed."

"Possessed?!" Vala yelled. "For what? Not participating in the prostration? Not saying your prayers properly, not...."

Cam shot Vala a warning look and Vala quietened. Since her own experiences involving the altar and finding many others built in their own galaxy the subject was one that always angered her. She knew her teammates understood why but sometimes she let the anger spill over and placing it on this probably innocent girl was not what she had in mind.

"There is a man who lives in solitude just outside the village. At one point he lived in the village but the elders decided that to stop his madness from spreading and he had to leave."

"If you believe that someone is possessed or a non believer is it not the usual practice to sacrifice them?" Teal'c commented from the opposite end of the room.

"He is protected by the Prior."

"I thought there hadn't been a Prior here for a long time?" Cam stood and began to pace, his fingers tracing along his weapon as if he was nervous.

"Several seasons ago the Prior brought him to our village and ordered us to care for him. We were told he was from another settlement but could not stay there and was a child of the Ori. We took him in, cared for him, tried to heal him but it didn't work. He had little memory of his life before coming here other than he was a teacher and had no family."

"So he had no memory and therefore was possessed?" Vala didn't think that the Ori would kick out a man for that.

"He was strange. At times he would be calm and friendly, at other times agitated and angry. He would spend hours debating the Book of Origin with the elders and there were times when I felt that he did not believe in Origin. He would be talking one minute then silent and sullen the next. During his sleep he would call out, yelling things, thrashing around. During the day he would change moods often, sometimes as if he was a different person. The elders claimed he harboured a demon and banished him from the village until the Prior returns to pass his judgement."

"Ok, so a crazy man. What does he have to do with you and..." Cam pointed outside indicating the black altar.

"I have been visiting him for the seasons since he was asked to leave. I take food, blankets and other supplies to him. Sometimes I stay and talk to him..." Levia trailed off looking at her hands as she fidgeted. Sam shared a dubious look with Vala and she knew that Sam was wondering the same thing. If this woman was having some kind of relationship with this man it could be the possible reason for her attempted murder.

"They tried to kill you for that?"

"After my husband's death I mourned him for many days. I completed my duties and returned to my home. I did not socialize with the other villagers only speaking a greeting when I saw them at work or prostration. When he arrived I was instructed to care for him, which I did with the help of others. He asked me many questions and I soon learned that he could be trusted. He wanted to see the village so I showed him around. He made me laugh when no one else would. After he left I continued to care for him in the hope that the Ori would heal him someday."

Vala didn't miss the use of past tense as she spoke of her prayers to the Ori. With any luck they'd be able to find a resistance much like she had on Ver Isca and possibly some Ancient artifacts that they could use to help them get home.

"It will be dark soon. If you wish to stay here for the night you may. There is an extra room upstairs...."

"Oh, no. That's great of you to offer but we're fine, really." Vala wanted to hit Cam. Sleeping indoors would be far better than outside in the cold.

"Please. It is not often that I have the opportunity to have company, plus you saved my life today. It is the least I can do."

Sam smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

"I must insist on one thing. I do not know your names."

Vala laughed and opened her mouth to introduce herself but Cam jumped in first. "Er, I'm Capricorn, this is Taurus, Sagittarius and er, Virgo."

"Thank you. If you wish to wash you may. I will have dinner prepared in a short while." Levia left as SG-1 sent questioning looks at Cam.

"Hey, I don't know if these folks know who we are by face or by name. I wasn't about to risk it." Vala realised that Cam made sense. While they had revealed their weapons their clothing had been hidden still.

"One thing though." Thinking over their day, Vala remembered something that had been mentioned earlier. "When I asked that leader about the amount of healthy men in this village and he was told about the war, he acted as though he didn't know anything about it. Is it possible that this is a world left mostly untouched by the Ori?"

"You mean as in they've got the religion but not much else?"

"The village is the same as the other Ori ones I've seen but none of the men were ordered to participate in the war. Could it be possible that the Ori forgot about this place?"

"No, I don't think so." Sam answered Vala taking a seat at the table. "They said a Prior had been here within the last few seasons. It had to be before Adria's death."

When Levia returned to announce that hot water would be ready soon the conversation ceased. As Levia discovered that they had no other clothes than the ones they wore she offered several dresses to Sam and Vala and some of her husbands clothes to Cam and Teal'c. Again Teal'c's clothing was too small but with the superglue and needle and thread they managed to make something suitable for him. Vala guessed that by now Levia had to have suspicions about where they were from but was keeping it to herself.

The evening was pleasant, hot tasty food filling them up far better than MRE's. As the wind began to howl outside Vala climbed into the bed that she and Sam were sharing as the boys slept downstairs, thankful that they had accepted Levia's offer.

Shortly after breakfast Levia mentioned that she had to visit Domic, the man whom she'd been helping. SG-1 offered to go with her and informed her that where they came from there were treatments available for illnesses that could be mistaken for demon possession. They'd had the discussion the night before with both Cam and Sam explaining the variety of illness and diseases that could give someone that idea. If they could help this man so he could return to the village they should. Levia accepted their offer and in the crisp early morning they began the walk from the village.

It was a half an hour walk in the opposite direction than they had arrived the previous day. A small patch of trees with what seemed to be blankets attached and scattered belongings littered the ground. As they approached the tent like creation Levia informed them that she would see if Domic was awake before introducing them all. As they waited Vala's eyes wandered and she spotted several carvings on trees, some she recognized, many she didn't. Ancient was one of them, Goa'uld another. Before she could point it out to the others Levia emerged with a man following her. Immediately Vala aimed her weapon at him.

It was Daniel.